Sheriff: Drive sober or get pulled over

SARATOGA County >> To crack down on drunken driving this Fourth of July, the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Department and local and state law enforcement will be out in full force, aggressively targeting those driving under the influence. The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign means zero tolerance for drunken driving.

The Fourth of July is a favorite holiday for many Americans, the sheriff’s department wrote in a press release, and families and friends gather to celebrate patriotism with food, parades, parties and fireworks.

For many people, the celebration includes alcohol, and the holiday can quickly go from festive to fatal when people choose to drink and then drive. During the July 4 holiday period in 2012 alone, 78 people were killed in alcohol-impaired crashes on county roads.

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that 10,322 people were killed in drunken driving crashes in the United States in 2012, representing a third of all crash fatalities. Further data shows the Fourth of July holiday period is especially deadly. From 6 p.m. July 3 to 5:59 a.m. July 5, 2012, 179 people were killed in crashes, and 44 percent of those crashes were alcohol-impaired.

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In every state, it is illegal to drive with a blood-alcohol concentration of .08 or higher, yet people continue to break the law and drive drunk. According to the FBI, more than 1.28 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics in 2012. And the rate of high-BAC impaired driving is alarming. In fatal crashes during the July 4th period in 2012, more than one fourth (28 percent) involved a driver or motorcycle operator with a BAC of .15 or higher, almost twice the legal limit.

NHTSA data also reveals that 46 percent of young drivers (ages 18 to 34) were drunk with a BAC of .08 or higher while driving in fatal crashes during the July 4th period in 2012. Motorcycle operators are also overrepresented as the highest percentage of alcohol-impaired drivers in fatal crashes. In 2012, more than one-fourth (27 percent) of the motorcycle operators in fatal crashes had a BAC of .08 or higher.

Drunken drivers are more common at night, too. Throughout the July 4 period in 2012, more than a third (39 percent) of the drivers in nighttime fatal crashes were alcohol-impaired, as compared to 16 percent of drivers in fatal daytime crashes.

The Saratoga County Sheriff’s Department recommends these tips to prevent drunken driving:

• Plan a safe way home before the fun begins.

• Before drinking, designate a sober driver.

• If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober relative or friend, or use public transportation.

• If you happen to see a drunken driver on the road, don’t hesitate to contact law enforcement.

• If you know people who are about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other, safer arrangements to get where they are going.